When you think of entrepreneurs, what comes to your mind? Is it the luxurious, extravagant and picture-perfect lifestyle that we have all seen online? Entrepreneurs have the challenge of achieving goals and maintaining success constantly at hand, this is the nature of their job.
This, however, comes with a psychological price. We hardly think about entrepreneurs as being psychologically vulnerable people.
Truth be told, they are pretty lonely. Entrepreneurs often live by the saying, “fake it till you make it”. The psychological effects of being an entrepreneur can impact them significantly. The anxiety and constant worries do take a toll on their mental health as they try to keep up the confidence and energy for the sake of their team.
Being an entrepreneur is not a 9-to-5 job. It requires them to be constantly committed and determined every waking hour of the day. The spirit of being an entrepreneur is hard to switch off. It takes a toll on an individual’s mental health. This is one of the reasons why not everyone can be an entrepreneur. The drive and passion required are not traits everyone carries with them.
We idolize entrepreneur hero’s like Mark Zuckerburg and Jeff Bezos to the highest standards as people who have it all easy but when you really think about it, does the idolization seem as attractive anymore? All thanks to social media we have been brainwashed to believe the false portrayal of entrepreneurial lifestyles.
To counteract the dark side of entrepreneurship, finding a good mentor that you can turn to in times of need to share issues with is extremely helpful. When you are willing to be emotionally honest, you can connect more deeply with the people around you. Willingness to be vulnerable is a powerful move for a leader.
